The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-07-15


Frustrated him, 50 deeply did he love, and
recovering slowly seemed plunged in deep
apathy. He tried to keep up his engage
ment, but he composed nothing.
at was then that he first took to drink.
Trying to drown the passion that burned
within him and seemed ready to consume
him; drinking to drown time that hung
heavy ON his hands and was hateful to him.
Soon he neglected his engagements and
got his living as best he could when sober,
which was seldom. Slowly, but surely,
has he descended until you see the wreck
of the once brilliant singer and talented
poet. Only under the Influence of the. fiend
does his genius rise, as we saw and heard
it tonight; should we see him tomorrow
We should find either apathy or drunken
stupor."
Joe paused as il he had finished his story,
and asked if there had been any endeavor
to reclaim this sad specimen of humanity
Eyes, his friends have tried but he has
steadfastly resisted them; and when the
city missionary approached him he said his
only wish was to die. They could rouse
him in no way
'But the girl; what became Of here
80, she still continues her old life some.
where, unmindful that her old lover is dy-
ing!''
There was a pause, Joe's eyes were in
tonfIv 6yad ON fho uInarninn onaIc Of fLo
fire, while mine wandered about the room,
first on one thing and then another. First,
on a sunmer landscape, then on q sculptur-
cd head of Mars, on an ivy climbing about
the room and resting at last on the book
case, wandering listlessly over its contents,
over the large art q~uartos, and the heavy
octavos on history and science to the small
err duodecimos and encompassing fiction,
to the molding above the glass doors and
the n~othingness aboye-was it nothingnesss.
Surely, something moved there! What
was it? | could not for the moment tell,
for all was confusion. Was it n man ?
Surely it ~personiied something. Slowly
the shadowy mass Lcemed settling into a
tangible shape. IIuman-like, yet carica-
tured, in the resemblance of an ape! But
the face-the index OF the SOUL Even that
was sadly disfigured; bnt through the
misty, uncertain outline | recognized the
face-tbc face of Patrick O'Riley. The
vision seemed talkative and it addressed
its conversation to me. In vain did l look
to the other quarters of the room, it fol-
lowed, and these were its Undergraduates.
"Do you see my face bloated and distig-
ured ? and do you think it was always
so? Do you see my bleared eyes? and do
you think they were always thus? My en-
fecbled step was once strong and firm like
yours; and do You know the demon that
caused it? and are you going to sit still and
see him conquer?"
''No," I said audibly, waking Joe from
his ~reverie.
'No, what said he.
But | was silent, and botE beings in no
sociable mood, went to bed.
PART II.
Whel | awoke next morning the strange
being of my fancy haunted me and follow
ed me through the day; indeed, it followed
me for many a day: and during that time
I did not once catch n glimpse Of ORiley,
though | peered into every bar-room that |
passed.
About a month after the events narrated
in the last chapter, as / was hnrrying along
a crowded thoroughfare, | caught the
sound of the wonderful voice. 1t was more
broken thar when ! last heard it, and as |
stepped into the door / noticed his features
were more bloated and his eye more blood
shot than when | last saw him. | inquir-
ed where he lodged but no one seemed to
know anything about it, and he, when not
soaring high above the earthly in realms
of song. was a drunken sot.
Then came another blank. AT last,
when hurrying home one night came up
on a crowd on the sidewalk and became
aware that four men were bringing a body
from an alley-way. | pecred in among the
eager throng OF faces and recognized the
d~isfigured features of Patrick O'Riley set
in death.
hastily inquired the circumstances and
was informed tina yesterday he raved in
delirium tremens, and wandering off in
this deserted alley, he had died alone.
They were bearing his remains to the
city hall, and busy newspaper reporters
were looking euriously OF and interview
ing the b~ystanders. oh, thought !, NOV
ing on, he that was their scott yesterday,
will be their hero tomorrow, and his vices
and his talents will be the subject of a
touching article set off by startling head
lines.
The next day, Joe and myself went to see
this long sufferers body returned to the
dust. The newspapers had done their work
and a large number of the e1riou were
gathered to see this last solemn rite. The
charity of friends had robed the deceased
in decent grave habiliments, and encased
the stiffened limbs in a respectable caSket.
The aged parents, with the brothers and
sisters who lived in the city, were the
mourners; and there was another clad in
deep black, who wept and wrung her
hands n ;f ;nconsolabIe. Who this wO-